Belgium has joined the Netherlands in banning air travel from the UK and has also banned rail links with that state in an attempt to reduce the risk of the spread of a new coronavirus strain found in southern England.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Cros on Sunday said he was issuing an order for 24 hours, starting at midnight, "as a precaution."
"There are so many questions about this new mutation and whether it has already appeared on the mainland," he said.
Earlier today it became known that the Netherlands has banned flights from the UK at least until the end of the year.
Both Belgium and the Netherlands have responded to the tightening of measures imposed on Saturday in and around London by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson said the rapidly spreading new variant of the virus, which is 70% more infectious than existing strains, appears to be contributing to the rapid spread of new infections in London and the south of England.
According to infectious disease specialists, mutations of viruses occur at least once a month, and increased infectiousness may indicate that the disease will be easy. British scientists are conducting urgent research to determine how deadly the new virus is.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted on Sunday that the coronavirus is out of control, and London's isolation could last for several months until the vaccine is distributed to the population. “There are no easy answers or simple options. I think it would be a mistake to ignore the new scientific evidence, ”he added.
